Mechanism for the stamping of letters, post-cards, and the like.



F. WILKINSON.

MEGHANTSM FOR THE STAMPING 0E LETTERS, POST CARDS, AN D THE LIKE.APPLICATION FILED JULY 30.1912.

1,140,014. Patnted May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

, ZZZ/2am. I aw THE NORRIS PETERS CO., PHOTO-LITHO.. WASHINGTON. D. C.

F. WILKINSON. MECHANISM FOR THE STAMPING 0F LETTERS, POST CARDS, AND THELIKE.

APPLICATION FII-ED IULY 30.19l2. I 1,140,014. Patented May 18, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2- diametral bore therein or therethrough'and in such amanner that it will normally press I pawl s is provlded which preventsthe back- FREDERICK WILKINSON, OF crLAzENwoon,v NEAR EAINTRE ENGLAND. I

MECHANISM FOR THE STAMPING OF LETTERS, POST-CARDS, AND THE Applicationfiled July so, 1912. Serial No. 712,305.

To all whom itmay concern Be it knownthat I, FREDERICK WILKIN- soN, asubject of His Majesty the King of England, residing( at Glazenwood;near Braintree, in the county of Essex, Kingdom of England, haveinvented certain new and I useful Improvements in Mechanism for theStamping of Letters, Post-Cards, and the like, of which the following isa specification. g

This invention. relates, to improvements in mechanism for the stampingof letters, postcards and the like so that the sender may use such meanseffecting prepayment of the postal rate in lieu of, ordinary adhesivestamps. I

It has for its object to provide a more simple and efiicient device ofthis kind wherein the die. stamping mechanism and the-coin slot or slotscan be arranged in one or both of a pair .of pressure rolls throughwhich the letter, card or the like is passed into the receptacle orletter box.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings in whichFigure l is a sectional side elevation of the die stamping and thecounter roll detached from their case; Fig, 2 is a plan view thereof;Figs. 3 and 4 are sectional views taken in planes at right angles toeach other through the counter roll; Figs. 5 and 6 are two plan viewsofthe die stamping roll with the die carrying portions removed; Fig. 7 isa reversed plan view of the removed die carrying portion; Fig. 8 is asection through the said roll and die; and Fig. 9 is a side elevationshowing the coin ejecting cam on the side of one of the journals.

, In one way of carrying out my invention I provide spring pressed dieand counter rolls a b respectively which are adapted to be rotated byspur gearing from a suitable spindle 0 and operating handle d. A die orplunger 6 with a curved or straight surface is mounted in one of therolls a in a coin slot 7 is made the die-carrying roller Specificationof Letters Patent. 7 Patented 18,'1915. l

a for the reception of a suitable "coin'lg 1" l which, when insertedtherein, will form an abutment for the. die 0 and insure itsbeingpressed outwardlyfagainst the surfacejaof any letter or card afterwardinserted. Upon the further rotation of the rolls the coin g would befreed as soon as pressure was removed from the die 6 and itwould' thenbe ejected or drop out into a suitable coin receptacle not shown. 1

- The feed or stampingrolls a I) would be arranged over the letterreceptacle so thatthe letters, cards or the like will fall therefromwhen stamped. In order to. prevent damage to the. die e or to theletters and also to enable a fair I lmpression of the die to be madeonfen- V vel'ops containing folded paper in case the unevenness shouldfall directly under the die I provide a resilient abutment on thecounter roll. This is comprised of a number of square headed studs 2'which are arranged in a. removable section b of the roll 6 and which attheir inner ends bear against rubber packing strips 7' as shown in Figs.3 and 4. I

Forconvenience of construction'the die 6 is also mounted in a' removableportion a of the roll a and; when assembled it is kept in place by a setscrew k which worksin a slot Z therein, with the springh. The

insertion of a, coin prevents the die from being pressed in by, theletter which thereby receives its impression. To insure the ejection ofthe coin after the letter has been turned. through I provide alevermwhich engages a cam n on one of thel'journ'a'ls o of the machine andpositively expels it from its slot 7, and in order to prevent itsdropping out before the letter has been stamped or before'the said camslot is over the coin receptacle I also provide a sliding springcontrolled pin'p which engages a cam surface g on. the'opposite journal7' and is extended thereby till theroll has been rotated through therequired angle. I

An intermittently engaging spring pressed ward rotation of the rolls andthe withdrawal of a letterwhen once inserted be 1 tween the rolls andits movements maybe controlled in any convenient manner by the backwardand forward movement of the counter roll Z) which when spaced from thedie roll a by the insertion of a letter against the tension of thespring pressed bearing blocks 0 allows the said pawl to engage the teethon the end of the roll a. This movement is effected by means of anintermediate member or link 22 which bears on the upper extension of thepawl s and also on the shaft of the roll 7). When however the rolls areagain in contact the pawl is withdrawn or lifted and a weighted chain trunning over a sprocket wheel a causes the rolls to be returned to theirinitial position ready for the reception of the next letter. This canalso be accomplished by means of a coiled spring on the spindle ofthecoin or other roller.

What I claim and desire to secure by Let ters Patent of the UnitedStates is 1. Means for stamping letters, post cards and the likecomprising a pair offeed rolls between which the letters or the like arefed, a die slidably mounted in one of the rolls, a resilient surface onthe'other roll adapted to register with the die upon rotation of therolls, the roll which carries the die having a slot forthe reception ofa coin adapted to engage the die and hold it out of the slot and therebycause the die to make an impression upon the letter or the like when thedie is brought into registration with said resilient surface.

2. Means for stamping letters, post cards and the like comprising a pairof feed rolls between which the letters or the like are fed, a dieslidably mounted inone of the rolls, a resilient surface on the otherroll adapted to register with the die upon rotation of the rolls, theroll which carries the die having a slot for the reception of a coinadapted to engage the die and hold it out of the slot and thereby causethe die to make an impression upon the letter or the like when the dieis brought into registration with said resilient surface, and meansforejecting the coin after said impression has been made.

3. Means for stamping letters, post cards and the like comprising a pairof feed rolls between which the letters or the like are fed, a dieslidably mounted in one of the rolls, a resilient surface on the otherroll adapted to register'with the die upon rotation of the rolls, theroll which carries the die having a slot for'the reception of a coinadapted to engage the die and hold it out of the slot and thereby causethe die to make an impression upon the letter or the like'when the dieis brought into registration with said resilient surface, and means forreturning the rolls to their initial position after each operation.

4. A coin-controlled apparatus including a roll provided with anopen-ended coin slot,

a cam operated lever to prevent movement of the coin through one end ofthe slot and to eject the coin from the other end of the slot at apredetermined time, and a spring pressed element adapted to be projectedinto the slot to prevent accidental displacement of the coin through theopposite end of the slot until said predetermined time, and means toproject and hold projected the spring pressed element until saidpredetermined time whereupon said spring pressed element is released topermit ejection' of the coin through the cylinder by said cam operatedlever.

5. In a coin controlled apparatus, a roll provided with an open endedcoin slot, automatically operating means cooperating with the roll toprevent passage of the coin through one end of the slot 'and operable toeject the coin from the roll through the opposite end of the 'slotatapredetermined time, and automatically operating means connected to theroll and projecting into said slot to prevent accidental displacement ofthe coin through said opposite end of the slot until said predeterminedtime.

6. Means for stamping letters, post cards and the like comprising a pairof feed rolls adapted to rotate in opposite directions and in closeproximity to each other, a die slidable in one of the rolls, the rollwhich carries the die havinga slot for the reception of a coin adaptedto engage the die and hold the die out of said slot so that the die mayeffect an impression upon the letter or the like fed between the rolls.

7. Means for stamping letters, post cards andthe like comprising a pairof feed rolls arranged to rotate in close proximity to each other tofeed letters and the like between and through thesam'e', a resilientsurface carried by one of the rolls, anda coin controlled die carried bythe other roll adapted to register with said resilient surface to effectan impression on the letters and the like as they are fed between therolls.

8. Means for stamping letters, post cards and the like comprising a pairof feed rolls arranged to rotate close proximity to each other to feedletters and the like between and through the same, a resilient surfacecarried by one of the rolls, and a coin controlled *die carried by theother roll adapted to register with said resilient surface to effect animpression on the letters and the like as they are fed between therolls, means to eject the coin, .an'd meansto prevent backward movementof the rolls.

9'. Means for stamping letters, post cards or the like comprising'a pairof feed rolls, a yielding surface carried by one of the rolls, aslidabledie' carried by the other roll for registration'with theyieldable surface of the companion roll during rotation of the rolls,the roll whichc'arriesthe die having a same out of said slot so as toeffect an imslot therein for the reception of a coin which In testimonywhereof I afii x my signature is adapted to engage the die and hold thein presence of two Witnesses.

' FREDERICK WILKINSON.

pressionon the letter or the like as it passes Witnesses:

' between the rolls and When the die registers J. S. WITHERs,

with the yieldable surface. T. BLAKEY;

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents.

Washington, D. c."

